The capybara, HydrochoerusHydrochaeris, is a
semi-aquatic rodent of South America. It weighs about a hundred pounds, and is
about 2 feet tall at the shoulder. To help you imagine the size of a capybara,
click on the image to the right to see a picture including a human being (5 ft.
tall) for scale. The two capybaras on the right are adults, the rest are
juveniles.

More or Less Frequently Asked Questions: Click here for a page of capybara facts

These pictures, including capybaras eating popcorn, were taken at Southwicks Wild Animal Farm in Mendon, Mass. (south of
Worcester) which we recommend highly to the capybara-minded.

The next pictures show capybaras engaging in typical behaviors like nursing,
swimming, and having their exhibit cleaned at the Montreal Biodome.
By the way, "capybara" is stressed on the third syllable.

This picture of a
handsome male clearly shows the scent gland on his snout which he probably uses
to mark his territory (click to see a larger version).

These pictures were taken at the Philadelphia Zoo.

Click on this picture for more photographs of capybaras living the good life
in California...

Capyboppy, a book written and illustrated by Bill Peet,
published in 1966, is the true story of a capybara who
actually lived with the Peet family. We highly
recommend this book to any capybara fan. It is required reading for anyone who
is considering trying out a capybara at home.

Quoted from The Mammals, A Guide to the Living Species by Desmond
Morris, Harper & Row, New York, 1965:

Looking rather like a cross between a Guinea-pig and a Hippopotamus, the
Capybara is the largest of all the I,729 species of
living rodents. Extinct forms of this animal were even bigger, but the
pig-sized, surviving specimens can reach an adult weight of more than IOO lb.,
an overall length of 4 feet and a shoulder height of 21 inches.

It lives in large groups along the river banks, where it grazes
peacefully on the lush grasses and the aquatic vegetation. It comes out on to
dry land to rest and bask in the sun but at the first hint of danger the whole
troop dashes into the water. Its worst enemies are the Puma and the
Jaguar.

Capybaras inhabiting the colder regions of South America have a long
shaggy coat, but the typical form has the short, pale and rather coarse hair
that can be seen in the above photograph. The face is very deep, the ears and
tail are small and the feet are slightly webbed. There is a large bump in the
middle of the top of the nose, which appears to be a scent gland of some
kind.

Capybaras adapt easily to life in captivity and become remarkably
friendly. They are rather vocal for rodents, often giving vent to a series of
strange clicks, squeaks and grunts. It is important that they should be
provided with a pool, as they appear to have a strong resistance to defecating
or mating on dry land. The gestation period is approximately 4 months and
maximum longevity about 1O years.

P.S.: Dr. Morris informs us that the capybara is his favorite rodent.

Click here for more information about capybaras in
science and literature

Not for the Squeamish

We have read that capybaras may be eaten by Catholics during Lent in parts
of South America, because they are aquatic. Fortunately, we have no pictures of
this activity.

According to Emilio Herrera, a biologist and capybara
expert at Universidad Simon Bolivar in Caracas Venezuela:"It is true that capybaras are eaten during Lent, but only in
Venezuela, and even there not everywhere. However, its dried
and salted meat is highly appreciated and is a traditional lenten dish. The annual capybara harvest is legal and
regulated by government. The well-designed management plan (based on a study by
JuhaniOjasti published in
1973) has been in operation for many years and is very successful, contributing
income to ranchers, meat for people, and not damaging their populations."

Here is a list of
zoos where you might be able to see capybaras, as reported by our readers, or
which we've seen on our own visits, but this is several years old now and it is
impossible to keep such a list up to date, so always phone ahead before
visiting any zoo to avoid committing yourself to a wild rodent chase.

ISIS no
longer has a search function available to the public but like me, you can keep
forlornly checking back hoping they will restore it.

Submitted by other loyal capybara fans:

These beauties at the Tregembo Zoo in North
Carolina were sent in by journalist Jefferson Weaver. More contributions:

Wonderful letter and pictures
from Sao Paolo, Brazil, and a few more photos and emails sent in by fans,
in a disorganized list that I am thinking deeply about revising.

Once again the only capybara in
Washington, DC (they have left the National Zoo due to reconstruction
of the elephant house), this stuffed guy is still in the renovated Hall of
Mammals, looking like it's barely been dusted off in all that shiny new
company.

The Call of the CapyA sound clip sent by BSweet who
also has video footage of the capys in
Springfield. If you are interested, you can drop him a line.

Some reports of capybaras in the wild in the US that
have been sent to me are here.

A few more capybara links:

Capybara Music: The link about the old musical group
The Cappy Bara Boys has vanished, so I give you
instead Capybara by Shonen Knife.

Click here
for some remarkable capybara pictures, but only if you think you can
resist the temptation to want a pet capybara even after seeing a picture
of a baby capy wearing a bib. We really don't
want to be encouraging people to think capybaras make good pets.

Click here for
a site that sells capybaras. We include this information because we do get
asked... but please be responsible in all your
animal purchases, OK? A good resource for how much work it is to own your
own capybara is Caplin Rous' pages linked to up
at the top.